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- The organizers of the Absa Cape Epic have decided to leave Quellé as a sponsor after a News24 exhibitionis revealed tohe denounced human rights abuses and financial crimes at the KwaSizabantu Mission.
- The Orlando Pirates Football Club separately said it would monitor the authorities’ investigations as well as the mission’s “independent review panel” to ensure compliance with the club’s code of conduct.
- The South African Christian School Sports Association also said it will wait for the investigations to be completed.
The organizers of the Absa Cape Epic, the annual mountain bike race, have decided to leave Quellé as sponsor of the event following allegations of irregularities, abuse and money laundering in the religious mission linked to the watermark.
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“We learned of the allegations through media reports. As soon as this happened, we made the decision to remove Quellé as a sponsor of Absa Cape Epic.
“The Absa Cape Epic is proud to be an event of the highest integrity and was shocked and disturbed by the allegations,” the event’s chief marketing and communications officer Sarah Harrop told News24 on Friday.
The decision follows the News24 series on alleged human rights abuses and financial crimes at the KwaSizabantu mission in KwaZulu-Natal.
The mission leaders are the owners of Ekhamanzi Springs, which owns aQuellé.
aQuellé has sponsored Absa Cape Epic since 2018. However, the event did not take place this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Harrop said.
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He added that in addition to providing bottled water for the event, aQuellé had no other participation.
Harrop said they were also aware that authorities were investigating the allegations.
Orlando Pirates
Meanwhile, one of the most followed sports teams in the country, the Orlando Pirates Football Club, which is also sponsored by aQuellé, issued a statement saying that it would continue investigations by both the mission and the authorities “to ensure compliance with the club code of conduct “. commitment and rule of law “.
“Over the weekend, News24 published an article containing allegations of serious human rights violations at the premises of one of the Orlando Pirates Football Club sponsors, Mission KwaSizabantu.
“At Orlando Pirates Football Club we are bound by our code of conduct and are committed to unequivocally establishing our value system and the processes we are required to take in response to these situations. Under no circumstances is discharge an option. No prosecution is an option. it is small enough to be overlooked, “the club said in a statement posted on its website Thursday.
He added that he had received correspondence from the mission informing him that the mission was appointing an “independent review panel” to investigate the criminal complaints.
The club said it would follow the matter closely.
At the same time, the South African Christian School Sports Association (Sacssa) said it would wait for investigations to be completed before deciding on a Quellé sponsorship.
aQuellé has sponsored your track and field event for over 15 years.
When asked if the association had concerns about Quellé’s sponsorship or if it would review its relationship with the company, national coordinator Johan du Plessis said it depended “on the results of the South African law enforcement investigations.”
“We trust and pray for everyone involved, that hearts are protected and that the truth prevails,” said Du Plessis.
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